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Except rear axle nuts, every fastener on my Aventon bike has a hex socket, but the supplied folding hex key set is terrible. More than 50 years ago, I discovered that the ISO hex keys that came with BMW motorcycles took the guesswork out of torquing, so I ordered a complete set. The H4, H5, H6...

A couple of weeks ago I bought these. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TS6KCXD I'd always used the kind where you figure out what gauge wire you have, find the notch in the strippers, use one size bigger if the wire is stranded, clamp the wire with the sharp hole, turn the stripper to be sure the...

As of 1990, the Chinese owned more than one bicycle per household. These days, 4 times more e-bikes are sold in China than in the rest of the world combined. Chinese cyclists must know the importance of proper tightening of fasteners. Traditionally, bicycle manufacturers provided sheet-metal...

Airing bicycle tires was a hassle. On a car or truck, the valve will be nearly a foot off the ground even at 6 o'clock. With one hand, I could shove the chuck hard to seat it. On a bicycle, shoving hard with one hand will move the wheel unless it's at 6 o'clock, which is very low. Sitting on the...

In “Thunder Road,” a pretty girl is sitting with her beau when she hears a distinctive sound a mile away. She says, “That’s Luke!” She runs to the parking lot and greets him by opening the door and jumping in. The beau moans, “Nobody can compete with him. He’s got the loudest pipes in the...

After I bought an e-bike in 2020, I found that the cleats on the resin pedals often cut my shin right through my pants. Sooner or later my shin was bound to collide with the pedal as I walked beside the bike to push, pull, or turn it, usually in the garage. I didn't know why cleats were...

I get up to 23 mph descending a hill near my house. I usually brake at the bottom to slow for the speed bump. Last week, when I applied the brakes, there was a clanking sound. It continued when I released and reapplied the brakes. I was afraid I might be incurring serious mechanical damage or...

When I replaced OE brake pads on a Radpower bike in 2021, the cotter pins were reasonably easy to straighten. The pins with the replacements were bigger and harder. It was difficult to bend the ends and worse when I had to remove the pads for cleaning. Yesterday I replaced OE pads on another...

My Radmission became my backup bike 8 months ago, when I bought a new e-bike. I'd ride it several times a month. When hot weather came, I brought the battery indoors so it would stay cooler. That meant I rode the Radmission less. A few days ago I put in the battery and rode it. The mechanical...

I've had two e-bikes whose mechanical brakes would stop me in 20 feet from 20 mph, like a modern car. In fact, they'd do it with the front brake alone. I couldn't have stopped so short without risers for the handlebars (to keep me from being thrown over them) and layback posts (to move my weight...

She recommends sandals and plenty of smoke breaks. https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/undiscovered-cycling-whizz-relives-epic-7371158 She also enjoyed tickling the ivories. https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/see-amazing-96-year-old-11963330

Within my first 30 miles, a worn, rounded particle of glass, like a grain of sand, lodged in the rubber of my rear tire and ended up puncturing the tube. A lot of ebike tires have very little puncture resistance, but this took the cake. I bought a Schwalbe Pick-up, advertised for puncture...

I used to love the Sturmey Archer hub shifter. When I bought my Abound, I had little experience with derailleurs. I needed a lot more shifts, and to avoid shifting under load, I needed to anticipate. To anticipate, I needed to know what gear I was already in, and I couldn't read the number...

The Abound’s seat-tube angle was an important reason I bought one. The nice thing about an angle of about 60 degrees is that one size can fit all because when you adjust the seat post for inseam length, you're also adjusting for femur length. With the seat farther back, my knee is not bent...

I have ridden my Abound about 30 miles. I used it to get groceries in this afternoon. When I rolled it out an hour later, the back tire was flat. I took the wheel off, cleaned the tire, and found no evidence on the outside. In a case like that, I mark the tire at the valve on the chain side, and...